2021 Metra Budget

[Pace831]

2021 Budget

• No service cuts or fare increases

• $70 million shortfall needs to be rectified

• Changes to weekend passes

 

[Smolensk]

Thanks for posting. 

Some interesting new fares:

Quote

Weekend Pass Adjustment – Metra is proposing an adjustment to the weekend pass in order to entice more families
and discretionary travelers to ride the system. Metra is introducing a new Saturday or Sunday Day Pass that will be
available for $7 and valid only on either Saturday or on Sunday. The existing $10 two-day Weekend Pass would be
retained but only on the Ventra mobile app. The validity period for both passes would be 14 days. Note that this is a
change from the current 90-day validity period for the existing weekend pass.

 

In addition to the new Saturday/Sunday Day Pass, Metra previously announced the launch of the new Round Trip Plus
one-day pass for unlimited travel between any two zones. The Round Trip Plus is priced at twice the price of a comparable
One-Way Ticket and only available through the Ventra App. The Round Trip Plus pass was introduced with the latest
version of the Ventra App launched in September 2020. Metra experienced significant interest in the temporary $10 All Day
Pass that was introduced in response to the pandemic, and while this fare product is currently only in place through the
end of October 2020, the Round Trip Plus ticket will continue to offer similar convenienc

Sounds like Metra is inching towards requiring riders to have working smart phones.  (If it's good enough for the Chicago Bears, it's good enough for Metra.)

[MetroShadow]

16 hours ago, Smolensk said:

Thanks for posting. 

Some interesting new fares:

Sounds like Metra is inching towards requiring riders to have working smart phones.  (If it's good enough for the Chicago Bears, it's good enough for Metra.)

And for enticing off-peak and perhaps an extension of the All Day pass that was previously offered.

 

Quote

$61.5 million for new rolling stock. Metra is close to purchasing new railcars after asking manufacturers to propose new designs that maximize capacity and add customer amenities.

What's the deal with this? I know they've pulled the old RFP but haven't seen or read any movement on this (anything to avoid the gallery cars, I guess)...